A month after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma in his maiden cabinet meeting, gave a nod to revive pension for the detainees under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency period.
Apart from this, the two main decisions that were taken include the suspension of RAS main exams and consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation for prosecution or investigation of any case in Rajasthan.
Pension restored for beneficiaries under MISA
In 2019, the Congress government in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh discontinued the pension provided to those detained under the National Emergency under the provisions of the MISA and the Defence of India Rules (DIR) enacted in 1962.
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The monthly pension programme was launched by the BJP in 2008 for the MISA detainees who were jailed during the 1975-77 Emergency period. In Rajasthan, a total of 1396 beneficiaries are eligible under the MISA relief, also called as Rajasthan Democracy Protectors Felicitation Fund Rules (RDPFFR). The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to revive the MISA pension.
"The pension will be revived to those who fought and were jailed during the emergency in Rajasthan," cabinet minister Rajvardhan Singh Rathore said while sharing the brief with the press.
The cabinet also decided to revise the charges and quantity of the meals to be distributed under the Annapurna Rasoi Yojana. "The quantity of provided meals has been increased from 450 grams to 600 grams, which consists of dal, chapati, vegetables, millets, and pickles. The cost of the thali has been raised to Rs 30 from Rs 25."
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A nod to creating SIT to prevent paper leaks
In sync with what the BJP had promised in its manifesto, the cabinet gave a nod to create a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to prevent paper leaks in the state.
Rathore said, "The CBI will no longer require the state government's permission for investigations in Rajasthan. They can go ahead with the investigation, without any delay."
The BJP in its manifesto had also promised to constitute a special cell to investigate ‘anti-Bharat’ sleeper cells across the state and a SIT to investigate alleged scams under the previous Congress government.
"A committee would review decisions made by the previous Ashok Gehlot government in the last six months. The review will conclude within three months, with a subsequent report submitted to the Chief Minister," Rathore added while hitting at the previous Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot.
The cabinet also deliberated on the collaborative effort of the mining, revenue, forest, home, and transportation departments, under the supervision of the district collector, for conducting a special campaign to curb illegal mining.
